From The Dead
by BinonaGrace
Summary: The gang, well most of it, had moved on, into the Railway Arms - the end. Or is it? What if there was a way out, a way to finish what they'd started and truly find peace? How I'd have liked a series 4 to have gone.
1. Chapter 1

_I know this isn't the end, Gene, I know one day when you're ready you will join us. And I will welcome you with open arms._

Gene Hunt mumbled incoherently, placing the letter in a drawer by the side of his desk. The only words which would have been made out, if there was anyone left to listen, was his trademark "bloody nancy bollocks". How did she even find the time to write such a sappy letter anyway? He was unconvinced it was even from her, the letter was more likely a ploy by Pencil-Neck to convince him to "move on" leaving the fate of the station to his fancy.

"By my hairy ballsack!" Gene grunted, looking up to find no one there to chastise him for his choice of words. Ah, a bottle of scotch. A large measure found its way into a well-used glass, satisfying his need for its numbing power. Ghosts of his former team stood around his office, shaking their heads at him disapprovingly.

"_Alcohol is not the answer" _Bolly would say. Bollocks; he would reply. You drank more house rubbish than me when you got here, because of that daughter of yours. Gene wondered idly about the fate of the girl, a poor little child with a dead mother and a half assed father.

Taking another large gulp Gene welcomed the forgetting native of both alcohol and this place. In a way he couldn't want anything more than his former friends to fade into the background, so he could stop missing them so damn much. But then his thoughts moved to Sam Tyler, and the hole he left when it was his time to go. The pain of watching him and Annie step into the Railway arms for the last time dulled but never really left him. Gene dreaded to think the size of the Alex shaped hole which would settle inside him.

_My bloody car!_ With everything that had gone he'd forgotten his beloved motor, sitting abandoned and buggered on a runway. Just another bastard thing ruining the life he'd built for himself here.

"_Chin up Guv, you're the manc lion" _He imagined Ray saying. He couldn't dwell on this, that man outside shouting about his thigh phone or something needed to be dealt with.

But before Gene could even replace the lid on his scotch he watched the doors of CID unfurl… But it couldn't be… He convinced himself that the figures through the glass were figments of his imagination, despite the determined footsteps telling him otherwise. It was only when his office doors burst open that he stood, pouting with raised eyebrows at the merry band of people in front of him.

"We came back, Guv," DC Chris Skelton stated, pointing out the obvious with a slightly lopsided grin.

"It didn't feel right, you know," Newly DC Shaz Granger added, squeezing Chris' hand.

"Yer, there's still plenty more scum who need a good seein' to!" DI Ray Carling explained, shifting feet and punching the air to demonstrate.

"Guv? Gene? Are you alright?" DI Alex Drake asked concernedly, looking up at Gene's blank eyes.

Their boss took a step forward, shielding himself behind his desk as he looked each of them up and down with narrowed lids. "You," he gestured at Chris, "You," then Shaz, "You," Ray, "And _you_," Alex, "Should not be here."

"But we are, we-" Alex sighed, a small smile finding its way onto her lips.

"No," He snarled, "No one comes out of there once they're in, that's not the way it works. You don't get to pick and choose!" His team looked back at him almost sorrowfully, "I know that for a fact. So what are you? A trick? A trap?"

"I know this seems unlikely.."

"Un-bloody-likely? This. Is. Impossible." Gene stressed, his eyes wide with anger.

"I know how you feel, boss, but we got out before closing. Boss, I mean ma'am realized it was wrong and we just walked out of the door!" Chris explained in his usual stop start manner.

As Gene's steely glare settled on her, Alex wondered what had been going through his mind as she walked away. A simple psychological profile would tell you he'd feel abandoned and alone by their departure, so he was likely to lash out. Denial would also be likely, which was obviously what was going on here. All the while she studied his face; she noticed his features getting softer.

"Bolly.. Drakey, tell me this is you. Tell me this isn't some game set up by Keats to give me hell… Please."

Alex walked around his desk so she was stood square in front of him. She looked into his eyes for permission before placing a hand on his chest. "There, it's _beating,_" she noted the recognition in his eyes as she took his hand and placed it above her left breast, "Well so is mine. This is me, Guv; we're back. We came back for you."

The Guv ignored the whistles and chuckles emanating from Chris and Ray as he scanned her face. Deciding something he dropped his hand, pulling the last of his scotch to his lips and downing it in one. "Well Team, we've got some bastards to catch."

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**This is my first attempt at an Ashes fanfic so I'd greatly appreciate some feedback, whether positive or negative. Further chapters are in the works and updates will be dependent on the reception for this. Thanks :)**


	2. Chapter 2

_A little while earlier_

Some things seem so innocent, arbitrary that you hardly ever give them ever notice. Like going to the pub at the end of a good collar with your team. Alex Drake had gone through these motions hundreds of times during her time in this place, but never had she imagined it would all end like this. However as the door closed behind her she realized it couldn't have happened any other way. Well, she looked over her shoulder at the figure with his back to her; there should really be one difference.

The music and shouting of the busy pub seemed dull to Alex's ears, a numbness glazing over her eyes, closing her off from the rest of the people. As she moved through the crowds she spotted her former colleagues sat at a table together, however when she got closer Alex noticed they were not speaking and seemed almost removed from their environment. Strange, she mused.

"Alex Drake!" Nelson cried happily from behind the bar, "We've been waiting for you! Come, come, have a drink on the house!"

She raised a hand to shake off his words before reconsidering, alcohol could be just what she needed right now. Nelson nodded knowingly and pulled out a wine glass along with a bottle of Luigi's house rubbish, making Alex pull a small smile. Ah Luigi, getting me drunk when you're not even here, thought Alex; tipping her glass to the Italian.

"Can I ask you something-"

"Nelson, mi' name's Nelson," He responded with a grin. She recounted the times Gene and the boys had spoken fondly of this barman; Alex couldn't understand why he would be the keeper of the pearly gates as such – but what's the use of questioning things now?

Alex smiled half-heartedly, "Nelson, okay. Is this really it, Nelson? Is this the end?"

"Can we really say what the definitive end is? Who knows?"

"I guess I did die once, come to the world out there, live a whole other life and then move into here…" She considered, sipping her wine.

"Yes Miss Drake, this is the now, and you're still in control of your own destiny."

Alex turned to look back at the door, the outside world seemed much hazier but he could still make out Gene, still stood with his back to her. "But could I-"

"Ma'am?" A voice rose out of the crowd, "Could you come over here, ma'am?"

With a quiet sigh Alex downed the last of the wine, remembering her colleagues sat some way behind her. Prior to reaching them however, Drake caught sight of her reflection in a dusty mirror and stopped to wipe the mascara from under her bloodshot eyes. Watching as her blank expression stared back at her, she realised something. Even though the Railway Arms had appeared and you were obviously not supposed to stay when you know the truth, this place was a metaphorical 'heaven' right? But shouldn't you reach a sense of peace when you 'move on'? This was the thought which had comforted her with her parents' death, so she was finding it very difficult to come to terms with the emptiness which filled the expression facing her. The jawline was too tight, tense; the lips were a straight white line and the eyes, they just seemed so lifeless. They had always been so bright and shiny out _there_, what had changed now?

"Ma'am?" The voice called again, a hand following it and touching her shoulder. Alex turned to face Shaz, forcing a smile.

"How are you doing Shaz? Have you had a drink?"

The girl glanced over her shoulder at Chris and Ray, "Yes ma'am but I'm not sure; can we talk to you?"

"You don't need to call me ma'am any more Shaz, I'm not your boss now," Alex smiled, patting the younger woman's arm.

"Old habits I guess," Shaz shrugged, turning back to the table. Alex followed her through the crowd before taking the fourth chair, ignoring the fifth obviously staring them all in the face.

"What happens now then?" Ray asked bluntly, frowning.

"Yeah, boss.. ma'am.. erm Alex. Are we just supposed to drink for the rest of our lives, I mean... deaths?" Chris added hesitantly.

Alex looked around the pub, suddenly realising where she had felt like this before. A hospital bed. Molly. Hundreds of tv screens. His voice.

_BOLLY_

"Are you alright, ma'am?" Shaz asked concernedly, reaching out an arm to the woman who had physically jumped.

"Didn't you- couldn't you- hear him?" Alex stuttered, taking a gulp of the drink which was offered to her.

Shaz's smile faltered a little, "Hear who? Them?" she gestured towards the boys who laughing at something Nelson had said.

"N-no, the Guv! He Shouted?" She replied weakly.

"The Guv's out there ma'am, you wouldn't hear him here!"

Alex turned sharply back to the door; clouds of billowing white fog were covering up the dark figure, which seemed further away than ever.

"But don't you think he should be here though, with us?" Alex asked, airing the concern she couldn't identify until his voice had broken through. This just felt wrong.

Shaz leant forward, "That's what we were thinking, Ma-Alex. This doesn't feel quite-"

"Right," Chris chimed in, looking to Ray for conformation (he nodded).

"Closing time! The night is over and it's time to leave!" Nelson shouted, ringing a bell loudly to quieten the pub. As much of the people got up and began to file out of a door which had suddenly appeared on the opposite side of the pub, Alex could have sworn Nelson had winked at her.

A determined look appeared in her previously vacant eyes, "We need to leave, now!" Alex ordered to her team, who were getting up from their seats.

Ray chuckled, "I know ma'am, its closing time!"

"No, it's not. Not for us!" Alex stressed. Shaz, Ray and Chris stared blankly back at her. "Come on, we can get out! We need to go back out there!" she pointed towards the door which had the fog seeping through the cracks.

"We can't, we need to go on," Chris tried to explain, wincing slightly at her crazy stare.

"We don't! The Guv needs us!"

Shaz smiled sympathetically, "Alex-"

"We need to be quick, come on!" She ran to the door and as she touched the handle it seemed to push the fog back slightly, "Now, all of you come on!"

The three remaining pub occupants looked at each other warily, obviously torn between seeing what was through the opposite doors, and being reunited with their beloved Guv. Shaz looked back to Alex, a question evident in her eyes. Alex raised her eyebrows softly and Shaz nodded once to her and then to Chris and Ray. Both boys looked at each other grinning and with that they all joined Alex at the door.

Together they pushed the door open, with it blowing away the remaining fog… And the figure DI Drake saw.

"Where's he gone?" She shouted, running out into the silent street. Echoes of her voice bounced around the darkened houses but DCI Hunt was nowhere to be seen.

Shaz walked out after her, "Where's who gone, ma'am?"

"The Guv, he was here just a second ago, I saw him!" Alex explained frantically.

"There was no one here, he left ages ago!" Ray yelled to the women, still stood by the railway arms.

"No, he was right there!" Alex shouted back, before turning back to Shaz, "He was! He definitely was!"

Ray nudged Chris, rolling his eyes. They chuckled slightly before joining Alex and Shaz in the middle of the road.

"I didn't see him, I could see a women though," Chris noted, "In a wedding dress actually, couldn't make her out properly though."

"I saw my warrant card on the floor, but it said DC like the Guv said he'd get me," Shaz recalled, her eyes widening.

"Hey, what if what we saw was what was holding us here?" she started to smile widely, lacing her arm through Chris' happily.

"Hm," Alex considered, the figure of Gene haunting her mind, "That could be possible actually."

"And you saw the Guv," Shaz pointed out, smiling coyly at her superior.

"Be quiet," She grinned, "But Ray, what did you see?"

The moustached man raised his eyebrows with a smirk, "This really fit blonde. Great tits."

Chris started to chuckle, only stopping when Shaz elbowed him roughly in the stomach.

"I guess this world thought we were ready to leave," Chris contemplated, rubbing his middle comfortingly, "But we just didn't agree."

"Don't be such a poofder!" Ray insulted, punching his shoulder and crippling his friend with the increased pain.

"Stop it, Ray," Alex scolded, turning to Chris who was being tended to by Shaz, "Very poetic."

Chris coughed, "Thanks ma'am."

The four turned as the Railway arms disappeared with the sound of strong wind, which also blew daylight across the houses and streets. When people began to appear on the pavements and the sounds of cars and life filled the previously silent land the team began to walk in the general direction of the station.

"We'll come back here," Alex vowed, "But only when everything's accomplished and we have the Guv."

**.**

**I wasn't planning on posting the next chapter for a while but the reviews I got for the first chapter were so lovely I couldn't resist! Thank you all so much for enjoying my writing and I hope you enjoyed this instalment too. Please let me know you're thoughts and I might post again quickly ;-)**


	3. Chapter 3

**I am so sorry about the lateness of this update, I really wanted to be more regular with this but I just started at a new college and the work just got on top of me. I'll try harder to be more consistent, sorry again!**

**Enjoy!**

"_Well team, we've got some bastards to catch."_

Alex looked up at her colleague, "Could I speak to you alone Gene?"

"Guv," He corrected her gruffly.

"Guv," She confirmed, slightly bewildered by his sudden hostility; wasn't she 'Drakey' just a moment ago?

The Guv looked her up and down through narrowed eyes, shooing the others away with a flick of his hand, "Chris, take down thighphone man's details – I have a feeling he may be our new colleague, Raymondo go collect the crime reports – see if there're any new scum on the streets. And Shaz-"

"Tea and five sugars, I know Guv," She finished quietly, turning away.

"No," Gene barked defiantly, "Go find that new Skipper, you're g'na need a DC warrant card are you not?"

Shaz's eyes widened and her face broke out into a beautiful smile, "Oh... Thanks Guv!"

The three officers bustled out of the room, congratulating Shazza on her promotion before setting out on their individual tasks. The office seemed very empty without them, an odd atmosphere was settling.

"That was a really good thing you did for Shaz, she really-"

"This whole relationship thing isn't going to work out for us DI Drake."

Alex stood frozen, not daring to look up to Gene's cold expression above her. The way he spat her name almost hurt more than his statement, the evident disgust crumbling away some of her "all is well" façade. Sure their kiss had been last minute, more of a goodbye-last chance thing really, but Alex had not expected such a rejection. Especially one before she'd even breached the topic.

"It's not you it's me, I hope we can still be friends, etcetera etcetera," Gene recited scornfully, with just a hint of that condescension which he knew very well Alex hated.

"What so that's it then?" She snapped, "A female shows you the slightest bit of affection and you run screaming like a twelve year old?"

Gene stood, "You can leave now, DI Drake."

"God, maybe Keats was right; you are forever in the mind-set of a teenager."

As bitingly as Alex spoke she did not move the stone pout on Gene's face.

"Get out of my office, DI Drake."

Alex span on her heels to face the door, however she only made it a couple of steps before she turned again, "Look me in the eye and tell me there's nothing here. Say to my face you don't feel something. Go on!"

The Manc' lion narrowed his eyes, tracing a line up his colleagues body with his eyes before resting just above her head, "If I remember rightly it was you who kissed me, bolls, I just went along for the ride."

"Oh sorry did I miss the part where we had dinner together, danced and then you nearly compromised an investigation because I didn't bloody sleep with you?"

"I was made for a fool, Bolly. I were promised a shag with sexy posh bird and then I were let down. Excuse me for being disappointed."

"So that's all I am to you then? A "sexy posh bird" that won't put out?"

Outside the little bubble Gene and Alex had created for themselves and their quarrels, Shaz sat with her colleagues admiring her shiny new warrant card.

"The Guv and ma'am are at it again," Ray pointed out, pointing the papers in his hands at the door.

Shaz looked up, "I don't know, it seems different than before. More emotional, y'know?"

"All sounds the same t'me, right Chris?"

Chris had a look of a deer caught in the headlights, torn between his lover and not looking like a poofder in front of his homophobic best friend.

"You agree with me, don't you Chris?" Shaz pressed, a hint of danger in her tone.

"Erm well you could say it's er-"

"Normal. Righ'?"

"I-I.."

The slam of a door and the clomping of heels silenced CID immediately.

"Well you can just _piss off then_."

Alex's acidic tone's aftertaste was all that was left in her wake as she flew out of the office. Every eye was on the Guv, who was scrutinising the door which had closed with an almighty crash behind her. Slowly his snakeskin boots strode towards his three favourite officers, who sunk down in their chairs as he approached.

"Skelton." Gene barked.

The boy in question stuttered to life, "Y-yes Guv?"

"Please send a maintenance bill for the hinges of the door to our esteemed colleague, and also let her know if she leaves this office again during work hours without permission from me I will not hesitate to fire her."

"Right."

And with that Chris scuttled out of the room. He may not be quite the mouse he used to be, but he wasn't stupid enough to mess with the Guv when he was in the mood. Ray on the other hand-

"Women and their hormones, righ' Guv? Bet she came back for more o' the manc lion and you shot'er down, good one."

Both Shaz and Gene's eyes bore into Ray's skull, dimming his macho façade slightly.

"I mean I-"

"Ray please leave your bone headed mysonogonistical-"

"Misogynistic, Guv," Shaz whispered.

"I know what I mean!" He spat, "Mysogo-bollocks in the bin where you found them and get back to work. I might be having a little tiff with lady-bolls right now but that doesn't give you an excuse to disrespect a senior officer!"

Ray looked down at his shoes, scuffing the floor with the toe, "Yes Guv."

"Now then," Ray flinched, anticipating further dressing down, "'av you got those crime reports or not?"

Weeks' worth of crumpled paper from games of paper football found their way onto the floor, followed by half a mug of cold, rank coffee before Ray held out a thick wad of paper enclosed in a stained card folder. Gene grabbed it roughly, flicking through the selection quickly, pouting the whole time.

"Petty thefts, domestics, bloomin' underage drinkin' – none of this is important enough for our time!"

"Well that's all there is, we're on top of the big stuff," Ray retorted, leaning back in his chair.

Simultaneously as Gene turned his back on CID to go back into his office, the double doors revealed a determined Alex trailed by Chris. Gene strode back into the centre of the room, holding back a smug smirk.

"Nice to see you have returned DI Drake, I'd like you to-"

"I did not," Alex grabbed the interview room keys from Gene's pocket, making sure push them into his leg hard before retrieving them, "come back for _you_."

"Oi! What are you doing with those?" The Guv yelled at her retreating back.

"I am holding my own investigation in light of the witness who has just come forward," She retorted, her voice conveying more of the anger she was feeling than she'd wanted.

Gene followed her with quick heavy steps, "Investigation into what?"

Alex's head whipped around for a moment, "A possible serial killer."

The door to CID slammed in Gene's face.

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